National criticised the Labour Party for "cronyism" when it was in Opposition, but a check through appointments shows National heading the same way.

Just as Labour governments are prone to cater to even the more extravagant wishes of trade unionists, so their National counterparts can find it difficult to resist the over-the-top whims of....

Prime Minister John Key believes a surplus is still possible but the Government will not deliver a slash-and-burn Budget to get one.

Former management consultant James Shaw says those who peg him as a "Blue Green" open to helping National form a government have it wrong.

The Prime Minister was quick to "rip up" the Government's intended reform of the Resource Management Act after the Northland byelection. Suspiciously quick.

Winston Peters cut a swathe through the wealthier parts of the Northland electorate in Saturday's byelection, securing the most votes in the National bastion of Kerikeri and matching the number cast....

NZ First leader Winston Peters says Prime Minister John Key is "acting like a spoilt brat" by saying he doubted Mr Peters would work constructively with National.

It surely does not get much better than this for Winston Peters, writes John Armstrong.

NZ First leader Winston Peters has delivered National a humiliating bloodied nose in the Northland byelection, with a majority of 4,012 votes after the counting.

Provincial New Zealand wants to shake down the Government for some of the largesse offered to Northland with its byelection promise of new bridges galore.

What a madcap couple of months. The Northland byelection campaign has had all the infantile pranking, ill-discipline and personal baggage of an Auckland airport carousel at Maadi Cup time. Here, from....

Prime Minister John Key is relying on National voters flocking to the polls and Labour voters staying home to win the Northland byelection.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is the Bear Grylls of national politics. He knows every survival trick going, writes Claire Trevett.

National's Northland candidate, Mark Osborne, has defended his work for a community centre he set up which is now under review by the Far North District Council.

The Government was asked to reaffirm its commitment to upgrade Northland bridges after comments by Finance Minister Bill English caused confusion in Parliament today.

This is what scrabbling for survival looks like. It's a lazy Sunday in Mangawhai and there are a lot of National Party people about.

MPs become accustomed to free travel in their daily work. Perhaps that is why they think they deserve more of the same in their retirement.

Prime Minister John Key has defended his ministers' use of the taxpayer-funded Crown car service to campaign in the Northland byelection, saying it was within the rules.

A decision on whether John Key's deletion of his text messages amounts to a destruction of the country's public records is progressing.

John Armstrong on the "new" jobs which may or may not be full-time jobs and the "new" promises on broadband which are old promises on broadband.

Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett did not offer the booster "zip it, sweetie," when she acted as birth coach in the hospital delivery room for her daughter on Thursday, Rachel Glucina writes.

John Key's plans to rein in politicians’ pay appear to be in a shambles as critics point out it would actually have delivered bigger pay increases in the long-term.

Despite John Key's claim that such antics are commonplace in by-elections, they are not, writes Claire Trevett. It is more traditional to emphasise how policies already under way will benefit the electorate in question, rather than promise new things.

Yesterday's announcement is classic pork-barrelling, writes John Armstrong. It indicates National is seriously worried that Winston Peters may well carry off a victory.

Prime Minister John Key is unapologetic about rolling out multi-million-dollar promises during the Northland byelection.

MPs will pass a law under urgency on Wednesday to cut their latest hefty pay rise and to index future increases against the same measure that is used for superannuation rises.

The National Party has promised to upgrade 10 one-way bridges in Northland as part of its byelection campaign.